Coin insertion saving device in clocks, counters, and like motion works



' Aug. 22, 1933. c. ROSAT ET AL 1,924,000

COIN INSERTION SAVING DEVICE IN CLOCKS, COUNTERS, AND LIKE MOTION WORKSFiled Dec. 4, 1930 coins resulting in saving.

Patented Aug. 22, 1933 s I DEVICE IN CLOCKS, COUNTERS, AND LIKE MOTIONCharlesRosat, deceased, late of Boudry, Switzerland, by Rose-Lucy Rosat,ne Bole, administratrix, Boudry, Switzerland, and Anders 'l orstenHammarstrand, Djursholm, Sweden Application December 4, 1930, Serial No.500,096, and in Switzerland January 31, 1930 V 7'01a ms," (01. 194-19)It is known to associate a savingdevice with clocks having a coininsertion slot for the purpcse'of awakening the sense of saving in theowner of the clock, the clockbeing arranged to be stopped although itsoperating spring is tensioned, when the owner discontinues insertingMost clocks provided with such a saving device have a control leverlocated in a coin insertion groove and serving to act upon the clockmovement so as to stop the clock when the insertion of coins isdiscontinued. The attention of the owner is drawn to his duty ofinserting a coin by the stopping of the clock, even if the latter isstill wound up."

The present invention relates to a saving device in clocks, counters andlike motion works, in which ina like manner, the continued operation ofthe driving mechanism of the motion work is ensured by the insertion ofcoins by means of a controlling member located in a coin insertiongroove and serving to'control the said mechanism.

According to the present invention the saving device comprises a step bystep advancingmechanism controlled by the action of said'controllingmember in dependence of the insertion of coins and adaptedto cause, whennot being so controlled, in a predetermined position the locking of the"motion work drivingmechanism (clock movement and the like), saidadvancing mechanism being so interconnectedwith the motion work drivingmechanism that it'advances at each coin insertion away from its lockingcontrol position, whilst when the insertion of coins isdiscontinued fora sufficiently long time, it is caused to turn back by the action of thedriving mechanism towards its locking control positionso far other handupon the escapement lever I r The coininsertionvgroove member 1 ismoreas to, finally arrest same.

Preferably, the controlling memberis constituted by an escapementlevercooperating with an escapement Wheel adapted to effect the arrest of thedriving mechanism, the escapement wheel being arranged to rotatestep bystep through one tooth at a time each time a coin is inserted, suchrotation being permitted by oscillation of the escapement lever, but'to' be rotatedbackwards again periodically by means of a tensionedmember or another part of the driving mechanism in order'that when theinsertion of coins for the purpose of saving is continued, it may notcome into the position in which it effects the arrest of the drivingmechanism. The escapement wheel and the escapement lever associatedtherewith play an important part, inasmuch as these parts constitute asimple means for release bymeans of coins, and also for controlling the.1 -'Sir-is.r15;s PATENT, OFF-Ice I I 1,924,000 I oom INSERTION "SAVINGarrest of the driving-mechanism and for ensuring an indication ,orcounting of the strokes of the escapement wheel still available till upto the arrest of the mechanism.

The accompanying drawing illustrates an embodiment of the invention asapplied to a clock, which as a whole maybe called asaving clock for"sl1ort; for the sake of clearness, only the parts necessary forunderstanding theinvention,

i is a rear view of the are illustrated. Figure saving clock; Figure 2is a section on the line IIII of Figure 1; Figure 3 isa vertical sectionsimilar to Figure 1, turned 180, and Figure 4 is a plan view of a detailof Figure 3.

1 is a c'oininsertion,

groove member provided With'a controlling or escapement lever 3,pivotally mounted at 2, one end of which extends'into the coin insertiongroove under spring action so as to block said groove. with escapementpins engage the teeth of an insertion slot member 1.

The lever 3 is provided 4, 4 which alternately escapement wheel 6rotatably mounted at 5 on the wall of the, coin On a pin 7 of the wheel6 the inner end: of aspiral spring 9 is supported, I

a casing or bet 1.

' the other end of the spring 9 being, connected to barrel 8 on the wallof the slot mem- The escapement wheel is also provided with an arrestingpin 10 extending throughthe wheel, the part of the pin 10 projectingforwardly being adapted to cooperate with an angle lever 12 adapted toinfluence the clock movement.

the balance wheel 11 'of over provided (Figures member 14 pivotallymounted at 14 and having 3" and i) with a toggle a pin 14 to which atension spring 15 is connected, A finger l6 seated on the axle-l7 of astar wheel 18 is adapted to cooperate with the pin 14 w The star wheel'18 operated by the doc move'mentinsuch a manner that it effects inapredetermined interval of time,'a complete rotation. Whilstthe'arresting pin lO cooperates cooperate with a stroke limiting pin 19,the rear end 1 0 of the pin "10 on the escapement wheel 6 being arrangedto come into contact with tion of the wheel so as the mechanism.

the pin 19 duringrotato stop the operationof 11 The escapement wheel 6may at the same time serve as counting wheel, as will be explainedhereinafter.

The operation of the saving clock is as follows:

When a coin is inserted in the groove 1, it rocks r the escapement lever3, with the result that the escapement pin 4 is moved out of the path ofthe teeth of the wheel 6 and the escapement pin is moved into the same,so that the Wheel ro tates, under the action of the tensioned spiralspring 9, for about half of atooth in the direction of the arrow 12.Directly after, the coin re-' engage the pin 14 of the member 14 andturn the latter around the pivot in so that when the spring 15 reachesits dead point position with the finger 16 at the other side of the axle17, the member 14 is moved rapidly into the path of the teeth of theescapement Wheel 6 with a jerk,

by means or" the tension spring 15, so ias to rotate the wheel inthereverse direction to that of the arrow '0 thus 'retensioning thespiral spring 9.

v The movements of the various parts are, of course, so proportionedthat this takes place long before the pin 10 of the wheel 6 isapproaching thestroke limiting pin 19.

Should saving be discontinued, i; e. should coins not be inserted in thegroove 1 for a time,

1 the advancing rotation i. e. rotation in the direction of the arrow 1;of the escapement wheel ddces not take place, but, on the other hand,its rotation in the reverse direction under the action ofthe member 14operated'by the clock movement is'c'ontinued, so that the pin 10 of thewheel 6 comes into contact with the locking lever 12 so that the latterbrakes the balance Wheel 11 by means of the leaf spring 12 and stopsthe'clock.

movement, even' when its operating spring is wound up. Thus the saver isreminded of his duty to insert further coins. The escapement wheel 6serves at the same time as a counting wheel. Each tooth of the a wheel 6correspondsto the insertion of 'a coin;

accordingly, a number plate'or graduation is pro- .vided directly on thewheel 6, although this number plate could be provided on a disc which isseparate from, but connected to the escapement wheel. The number ofcoins inserted can therefore be ascertained, the figures of the wheelbeing arranged to be observed through asuitable opening, or thenumber-ofreverse rotary steps of the wheel to be efiected before theclock movement is stopped. v

The coin insertion groove member 1 is provided adjacent the place wherethe coin acts on the lever 3 with an interchangeable filling member 1 sothat by interchange of the latter fora wider or narrower member, thewidth 'of the slot for certain difierent sizes of coins can be readilyadjusted.

What we claim is:-

1. A coin insertion saving device in clocks,

counters, and like devices employing motion works,'comprising meansdefining a coin insertion groove, driving mechanism for the motionworks,

a lever for locking the said driving mechanism, an escapement Wheel,means constantly tending to rotate said escapementwheel, an, escapementlever extending into said coin insertion groove, and associated withsaid escapement wheel, means on said escapement Wheel for controllingsaid locking lever, thesaid escapement lever,

under energy imparted thereto by the passage of coins through thegroove, controlling the escapement wheel for a step by step motionthereof in a: direction away from the operable position of said meansfor controlling'the locking lever, means constantly actuated by saiddriving mechanism'for periodically moving said escapernent wheel in areverse direction,towa'rds the operable position of said means forcontrolling the locking lever,iin such manner that when the insertion ofcoins isdiscontinued, the means on the es- -capement wheel will actuatethe locking lever to stop the driving mechanism;

,2. A coin insertion, saving device inclocks, counters, and similardevices employing motion works, comprising means defining a coininsertion groove; a driving mechanism for the motion works, a lever forlocking said, driving mechanism, an)v escapement wheel, an escapem'entwheel lever partly extending into said coin in sertion groove, andadapted to control said escapement wheel, said wheel being adapted toactuate said locking lever, a spiralspring normally tending to rotatesaid escapenient wheel, whereby, under the control of the escapementlever the saidwheel is advanced step by step in a direction away fromits operable position for actuating the locking lever, means constantlyactuated by said driving mechanism for periodi said locking lever, anescapenient lever partly extending into" said coin insertion groove andadapted to control said escapenient wheel, a spiral spring "adapted to'rotatelsaid escapement wheel, thereby imparting thereto, under thecontrol of, the escapement lever, 'a step by step advance in a directionaway from its operable position for actuating saidlocking lever; meansconstantly'actuated by said driving mechanism to periodically rotatesaid escapement wheel in a reverse direction, towards itsoperable'position for actuating lever, so 'that upon discontinuance ofthe insertion of coins, the escapement wheel will actuate said lockinglever to interrupt the driving mechanism, said last-mentioned meanscausing the rewinding of the said spiralspring.

4.A coin, insertion saving device in clocks, counters, and similardevices employing motion works, comprising means defining a coin insertion groove, a driving mechanism for said mo tion works, a locking leverfor said driving mechanisrn, an escapement wheel for controlling saidlocking lever, an escapement lever partly' extending into saidcoininsertion groove, for con trolling said escapement Wheel under thein pulsesfrom coins inserted therein, means const'antly tending torotate said escapementwheel, A

said escapement wheel being advanced step by step, under the control ofsaid escapement lever, in a direction away from its operableposition foractuating the locking lever, means constantly actuated by said drivingmechanism for periodically moving said escapement wheel its reversedirection towards its operable position for actuat' ing said lockinglever so that upon discontinuance of the insertion of coins in thegroove, the es-.

capement wheel will actuate said locking means to interrupt the drivingmechanism, the means for periodically reversing said escapement wheelcomprising a spring biased toggle member movable with a rapid, jerkymotion into cooperation with the escapement wheel, and so connected withthe driving mechanism as to be tensioned periodically.

5. A coin insertion saving device in clocks, counters, and similardevices employing-motion works, comprising means defining a coininsertion groove, a driving mechanism for the motion works, a lever forlocking said driving mechanism, an escapement wheel for actuating'saidlocking means, means constantly tending to rotate said escapement wheel,an escapement lever partly extending into said coin insertion groove,-

the said escapement lever, actuated by the pas sage of coins throughsaid groove, controlling said escapement wheel in such manner that thelatter isadapted to advance step by step, in a direction away from itsoperable position for actuating the locking means, means constantlyacnism, an escapement wheel for actuating said.

locking means, means constantly tending to rotate said escapement wheel,an escapement lever extending partly in said coin insertion groove, andadapted, under the influence of the passage of coins through the'groove,to control the movement of the escapementwheel, the said escapementwheel being adapted, under the control of said lever, to advance step bystep,as an inci dent to the passage of coins, in adirection away fromits operable position for actuating the 1ock-- ing means, means actuatedby said driving mechanism to rotate said escapement wheel periodicallyin the reverse direction, so that upon fail-- ure to insert coins in thegroove, the escapement wheel actuates the locking means to discontinuethe driving mechanism, and an elongated interchangeable filling barplaced directly in said insertion groove to adapt it for coins ofdiiferentsizes.

'7. A coin insertion saving device in clocks, counters and thelike,comprising means defining a coin insertion'groove, a drivingclock-work mechanism, a stopping lever for said clock-work mechanism,'anescapement wheel for controlling said stopping lever, a spiral springactuating said. escapement wheel, an escapement lever partly extendinginto saidcoin insertion groove, for controlling said, escapementwheel'under the im pulses'froin coinsinserted therein, said escapementwheel being advanced step by step, under the control of saides'c'apementlever, in a direction, away'from saidstopping lever, means actuated bysaid clock work mechanism-for periodically moving said. escapement wheelin its reverse direction towards said stopping lever so that upondiscontinuance of the insertion of coins in the groove, the escapementwheel will,

actuate said stopping lever to stop the clock-work mechanism, the meansfor reversing said escape- 'men t wheel comprising a spring-biasedtoggle member movablewith a rapid, jerky-motion into cooperation withsaid escapement wheel, and so connected jwithfthe clock-work mechanismas to be tensioned periodically.

ROSE-LUCY ROSAT, NEE BOLE, Administratria: of the Estate of CharlesRosat,

Deceased. V

ANDERS TORSTEN HAMMARSTRAND.

